What I Wish I Knew Before I Came to Beijing

I’ve
had the idea to write this blog for a while—things I wish I had known before I
arrived in Beijing. Originally, this blog started as a list compiled over my
first few weeks in China. I wanted to have record of these things so that I
could come back to my university at home and relay them in hopes of making
future study abroad students’ experiences even just a little smoother. Then the
idea came to me to make it into a blog post so that it was more accessible. As
a Fund for Education Abroad scholar, I blog my experiences weekly on a personal
website. However, the only people ever really reading those blogs are family
and friends. Then I thought about the potential of posting this blog to CET’s
Student Voices blog. I knew that it would reach a wider audience, as well as
provide pertinent information to students considering CET China programs.

I
would like to clarify that, of course, one cannot go into study abroad
believing that they know everything about their host country. Likewise, you
truly can’t go into a program having expected every single thing—that’s part of
the challenge of study abroad. However, there are certainly things that can aid
a student’s preparations for study abroad, whether that be mental preparation
or even packing. It can also make students feel more at ease before leaving, as
packing up and leaving behind all of your life’s comforts can be, quite
frankly, uncomfortable and scary.

That
being said, let’s jump in!

1. Don’t have high expectations for Internet.

We all know about the Great
Firewall, however, accessibility to Internet in China goes far beyond that. Wi-Fi
connection is spotty in many places. Your phone or VPN may be incompatible with
the Wi-Fi. But if your phone says you can’t connect to the Wi-Fi, try a couple
more times and it might work.

Plan for this as you need: some
students’ roommates bought their own routers to use in their room (but even
these have connection issues). Many students also use cell phone/laptop
hotspots as Wi-Fi alternatives. Spotty Wi-Fi and China’s firewall doesn’t mean
you can’t access your favorite apps: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Just
make sure you have a VPN!

2. Speaking of VPNs, download multiple VPNs before you arrive in China.

Many VPNs will offer you a free
trial for a few days before they start charging you for their services, and
even then, some offer a X-day money back guarantee. Try to download as many of
these in your last days leading up to your departure date. First, many VPNs
cannot be downloaded in China. Second, it’s always changing which VPNs servers
are blocked or best functioning here, so it’s best to try out a bunch in your
first few days here and make your decision based on that. For example, I had
Express VPN downloaded before I left for China. Many people recommended this VPN
to me, as it was believed to be the best option while in China specifically. It
turned out to be incompatible with most Wi-Fi, and now has stopped working
altogether. I would also recommend having more than one VPN to switch
between, as I’ve heard that sometimes a VPN’s usage can fluctuate. Thus, don’t
discount the free VPNs or paid VPNs that can be downloaded in China. I would
highly recommend Star VPN ($36 for a year, downloadable in China as of
right now) and a free VPN available only on the App Store called “VPN” (the
logo is a white key).

3. You should unlock your cell phone before coming to China, otherwise plan on having to buy a Chinese phone.

It is quite necessary to have a
Chinese phone number in China—it’s needed to log into some Wi-Fi and open a
bank account. Unlocking your phone and putting a Chinese SIM on it is
comparably cheaper than buying a Chinese phone, but you can still buy a nice,
brand-new phone for ≤$100 USD. I ended up doing this myself, as I couldn’t
afford to unlock my American phone. I bought a Huawei phone, which I wouldn’t
recommend if you plan to download any non-Chinese apps to your phone (Huawei
phones can no longer access the Google Play Store).

One can definitely survive in China
using cash, as many places still accept cash (it definitely wouldn’t hurt you
to know the phrase “可以用现金吗?” though—can I use cash?).
However, it’s a bit inconvenient, both for you and store clerks. It’s not very
safe to carry large amounts of cash on your person, and store clerks sometimes
don’t have the cash to give you correct change. Using Alipay/WeChat Pay is very
convenient and can be used virtually anywhere you go in Beijing. Bank accounts
are also useful for topping up the number of cards you’ll accumulate in your
time here: your cafeteria card, water/laundry card, and your phone bill. I
would recommend going to China Everbright Bank (中国光大银行),
as they will often times help you set up Alipay or WeChat Pay.

5. Even the best of us experience 水土不服 shui tu bu fu.

“水土不服”
is a Chinese term used to refer to one’s inability to acclimate to a new
place’s lifestyle, food, water, air, etc. Upon arriving to China, I couldn’t
understand why I couldn’t eat much food or didn’t want to drink a lot of water.
Just know that like adapting to a new country’s culture, adapting to a place’s
food and drink also takes time.

6. Food in Beijing is very oily, and access to fresh/raw fruit and vegetables is limited.

Sometimes ordering 外卖 waimai (takeout services—like Uber Eats!) pizza feels less oily than the food at the cafeteria and restaurants. The oil can take a toll on your physical and mental wellbeing—it’s hard to adjust to, and when your body isn’t feeling good your psyche doesn’t feel good either. It’s in your best interest to ask locals where the best fruit stores are/which ones have the freshest fruit. As for vegetable stores/markets, I have yet to hear of or find any.

A bountiful Chinese banquet meal.

My favorite pizza in China- Tube Station’s Hawaiian pizza!

7. Weather in Beijing is extremely dry.

In the month I’ve been in Beijing,
it’s only rained twice. This can affect your overall health—drink plenty of
water, bring skin and face lotion from the U.S. (most lotions in China has
bleaching agents save for baby lotion), having hand lotion is nice, too, but
you can find that here.

8. It’s easy to get dehydrated.

Since the tap water isn’t drinkable, you have to rely on filtered or boiled water. If you’re not a fan of warm or hot water, it’s up to you to go buy bottled water regularly. Find your nearest 物美 Wu Mei or other supermarket and buy the giant jugs. They’re super cheap and can last you a while!

9. You can use the water to brush your teeth.

10. Summer/early Autumn in Beijing is hot!

I arrived in Beijing in late
August. The average temperature since then has been around 85-90 degrees
Fahrenheit every day. The majority of my program is during Autumn/Winter, so I
packed for those seasons. Entering the second week of October, we’re finally
seeing cooler temperatures!

11. Enjoy the rare days the weather is more comfortable. Make sure to get out and walk or take a trip somewhere with friends.

My friends and I recently visited the Beijing Botanical Garden during our time off from school for China’s National Holiday!

A view of the mountains that surround the Beijing Botanical Garden.

A photo of my classmates, myself, and some elderly Chinese folks we interviewed for class.

12. Don’t flush the toilet paper.

13. The squat toilets aren’t as scary as they seem.

14. Don’t be afraid to wear a mask.

Some days, it may seem like you’re
the only one wearing one—know yourself and know what air quality levels affect
you. Don’t risk your health and wellbeing for the sake of fitting in.

15. The water in Beijing is hard.

Bring along some deep conditioner
from home to try to offset the damage it will inevitably do to your hair. It
can also dry out your skin.

16. Night sweats are a thing.

Honest, no one told me this, so you
can imagine my surprise (and discomfort) when I woke up the first night at 3 A.M. having
sweat through my pajamas and my sheets (maybe this is part of the whole 水土不服 thing?)

17. Do proper research on what things are easy/difficult to buy in China.

Some things that come to mind that
are hard to come across are deodorant, razors, shaving cream, tampons, knives,
and dental floss. Also keep in mind that OTC medication cannot be purchased at
your local supermarket in the same way it can in the U.S. However, China has some “uniquely
China” things that I’ve never seen in the U.S. before. I think things like this
make great gifts for folks back home!

18. On the same note, if you use special products, bring a supply large enough to last your entire stay.

For example, I have thick, unruly
curly hair that only likes certain products by certain brands with certain
ingredients. These products are not readily available in China, as the greater
population has no use for them. You may want to consider making even more space
in your luggage for extras, just in case. It’s not easy to receive
international shipments in China.

19. Don’t be afraid to try new things.

Of course, we all have personal
favorites and necessities, but don’t be afraid to take chances on new things. Sometimes
it’s the most fun when you can only read a few of the characters and can deduce
what it is by pictures. I’ve found some new favorites here by doing that!

A 福 hidden in the alleyway of a hutong in Beijing.

20. Broadly speaking, things in China can be very cheap, especially compared to the U.S.

That being said, you should still
budget your money in China. Since things are so cheap, it’s easy to take on a
big-spender mentality. And beware, imported products from Western brands can
run for higher than they would in the U.S.

21. Public transportation in China is extremely efficient. Don’t be afraid of the subway or the bus; take advantage of them!

A unique subway stop in Beijing– it’s mostly outdoors!

22. Look both ways before you cross any road.

There are bikers everywhere. While
crossing a large intersection, continue to be aware of the cars and bikes
around you. Some of them will just go despite you already entering the
intersection.

23. The act of gift-giving is valued in Chinese society.

I was surprised by how often my roommate
would gift me with snacks, fruit, or little knickknacks from Taobao. It makes
you feel really good to receive a gift for no reason—just that they were simply
thinking of you. Consider gifting your roommate, Chinese friends, or
classmates, whether that be something as simple as some fruit or a meal out at
a restaurant.

24. Take so many pictures and remember to get out and have fun!

25. Regularly document your experiences in a way that you enjoy.

It helps to not only reflect on and
think critically about your experiences, but also to decompress. Blogging
turned out to be a lot more fun than I thought it would be! A blog, journal, or
artwork of any sort can also be used to your advantage when talking about study
abroad with potential employers. I especially enjoy blogging since I can share
them with my friends and family all around the world.

26. Make good use of the CET Alumni Support list!

In all honesty, I did not make use
of this list. This is one of my biggest regrets. Had I got in contact with CET
China alum, I might have been more aware of some of these things before I came
here!

27. The feelings you experience during study abroad can feel isolating. Just know that a lot of other people are feeling the same way. Just talk to each other; be vulnerable.

28. Studying abroad is by no means easy, but you just need to take it all day by day. Rely on family, friends, and classmates to get through it.

Meanwhile, push yourself. Step
outside of your comfort zone; try new food, flavors, talk to new people, smile
at strangers. Don’t be afraid to feel uncomfortable, and most importantly,
don’t be afraid to mess up. Chinese people are very friendly; they are impressed
by your Chinese no matter how correct or fluent you sound, and they will often
be very patient with you. Use this to your advantage—ask questions, utilize the
new grammars you’ve learned in class. At the very least, never forget a smile
and a 谢谢.